Merck Licenses Investigational KRAS Inhibitor from SciBrunch for $2.13 Billion

Pharmaceutical giant Merck (NYSE: MRK) has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Shanghai-based biotech firm SciBrunch Therapeutics for its investigational oral KRAS G12D inhibitor SPR2015. The deal is worth $2.13 billion, with a $400 million upfront payment and the remainder tied to milestone payments linked to development, regulatory, and commercial progress.

The agreement gives Merck worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize SPR2015, which has shown nanomolar antiproliferative activity across KRAS G12D-mutant cancer cell lines. The drug is designed to selectively target tumor cells carrying the KRAS G12D mutation.

Tao Hu, SciBrunch's founder, chairman, and CEO, framed the deal as validation of his company's research and development platform, pointing to SPR2015's potential to address a longstanding, unmet need in oncology. George Addona, Merck Research Laboratories' senior vice president for discovery, preclinical development, and translational medicine, described SPR2015 as a strong addition to Merck's lineup of precision-targeted cancer treatments.